22
by shingekinorivaille
Summary: A drunk Mikasa stumbles into Trost Coffee Spot and meets a cute barista with shocking green eyes, and the only thing she knows about him is that his favorite drink is a mint mocha latte. What are the odds they would both have one more gen ed class to take before graduation and end up sitting right beside each other?
1. Beautiful Eyes

**22**

 **Chapter One: Beautiful Eyes**

* * *

The frigid winter air nips at Mikasa's skin, but she can't really find herself to care. If anything, the cool air feels nice. The last bar they had been in was far too small for her tastes and definitely too crowded. The drinks had been cheap though, so they stuck it out.

The world is a little bit blurred but across the street she sees a sign lighting up the street: _Trost Coffee Spot_.

"Sash!" she says loudly, stopping dead in her tracks and extending her left arm to stop the other girl from walking past her.

"Ahh! What-" the other girl runs directly into her arm, almost falling over but grabbing Mikasa's shoulder to steady herself. "What?" she says again.

Mikasa points across the street. "Coffee."

Sasha looks at the small coffee shop, to Mikasa, and back to the coffee shop. This continues for a minute while she tried to process what Mikasa wants. And than, "OH! You wanna g-get coffee?"

"Yes!" Mikasa says, a little to loudly. A man walking past them scowls. "Come on!" Mikasa grabs Sasha's hand and pulls her across the street, and they both stumble over the curb.

When warmth floods over Mikasa as she enters the shop, she finally realizes how cold she had been. It felt nice.

The shop is definitely older and in need of a makeover, with its vibrant yellows making Mikasa's eyes hurt a little bit. She and Sasha make their way to the counter and Mikasa suddenly realizes how drunk she is. She can't be drunk in a coffee shop, can she?

Although if it's open this late, they must see plenty of drunk college students.

Sasha stops at the counter, her eyes squinting as she scans the menu. "Mm, hot chocolate with whipped cream? Sign me the fuck up."

The door behind the counter opens and a boy with a man bun steps out. _Hello,_ Mikasa thinks, staring at his arms. So much muscle.

He stops at the register, looking both girls up and down. Mikasa knows it's definitely not in a flirtatious way and more of a _why are these drunk girls in my shop_ , but she still feels like she could get his number if she tried hard enough. He was really cute. And his eyes were a shocking green. Who had eyes like that?

"Welcome to Trost Coffee Spot," he says, his voice monotone, "What can I get for you tonight?"

"I want a large hot chocolate with all of the whipped cream you have," Sasha states, slamming her fist on the counter. "I will pay however much you want for the whipped cream," she adds to let him know she's serious.

He doesn't look amused at all, or if he is, he doesn't let it show. "And for you?" he asks, eyes landing on Mikasa.

"Uh," Mikasa stares up at the menu, mouth hanging open. "Is the mint mocha latte any good?"

The boy nods, "'S my favorite."

"Oh, well I wanna do that."

"Size?"

"Medium?" Coffee shops never seem to have consistent sizes, but he doesn't question her, and instead punches her order in on the register.

"That'll be $8.52."

Sasha hands him her card and he swipes it. A little _ding_ says it's successful and he points to the screen to have her sign. She doesn't actually sign, instead drawing a little heart and a dick. She giggles to herself and says, "Mikasa, look!"

"Hey, Armin!" Mikasa watches the boy turn to talk to the blonde standing in the kitchen. "Large hot chocolate, quadruple whip, and a medium mint mocha latte."

"On it!" the blonde boy, Armin, calls back. Mikasa hears machines in the back start whirring and watches the brunette as he leans against the counter, messing around on his phone.

A few minutes pass and Armin places both drinks in the window and loudly dings the bell sitting there.

"Arm, I'm literally standing right here," he says, brows furrowed. He grabs both drinks and hands them to the girls. "Straws and tops are over there," he says before turning back to his blonde friend.

"Um," Sasha stares at her cup, disappointment crossing her face, "Is this really all the whipped cream you have?"

"Yes," the brunette answers without skipping a beat.

* * *

The rest of the weekend passes slowly, and before Mikasa knows it, Monday morning has rolled around. She can hear the blow dryer from the bathroom and glances at the clock on her bedside table. It's only 9:30. Her first class doesn't start until noon today, but she rolls out of bed, stretching her arms above her head and yawning. Might as well get ready.

She slips back into her usual routine. Getting dressed, knocking on the bathroom door and telling Sasha to hurry up, waiting for Sasha to actually hurry up, take over the bathroom and finish her morning routine, eat breakfast. Sasha makes them omelettes that morning, and Mikasa couldn't be more grateful for her friend's cooking skills.

"What's your first class?" Sasha asks with a mouth full of food. Most people wouldn't be able to understand her, but this was Sasha's natural state and Mikasa was all too used to it.

"Intro to genetics. It's my last gen ed, so I'm not really looking forward to it."

"Ew, that sucks. Kinda surprised you still have a gen ed to take, you're _so_ organized."

Mikasa shrugs. "I knew I had to take it but I've been so caught up with finishing my pre law classes, it slipped through."

* * *

Mikasa slips into a seat somewhere towards the middle of classroom, letting her backpack rest against the chair's leg. She pulled out a notebook and a few pens, arranging her desk. College desks had always been a little smaller than she liked, but considering she survived to her final semester, she must've managed somehow.

One of her pens drops to the floor, but when she reaches to pick it up, another hand has already beat her to it. Glancing up to the owner of the hand is shocking green eyes, and Mikasa's mouth opens as the boy hands her the pen. "You're the barista from the coffee shop."

"And you're the drunk girl from the coffee shop," he replies. He seems much less monotone than the other night, a small smirk even playing on his lips. His hair is pulled back into the same style as before, and up close Mikasa can see specks of yellow in his eyes.

"I wasn't that drunk," she says pointedly, setting the pen back on the desk, closer to the notebook this time so it wouldn't fall.

"Nah, you were pretty drunk," he smiles, "Anyways, I'm Er-"

The door to the classroom swings open, and a taller man than Mikasa assumes is the professor tells everyone to be quiet. She sighs, leaning back into her seat. When the professor turns away, the green eyed boy slips her a small piece of paper.

 _Eren Jaeger._

His number was written below his name.

She sneaks a peek at him and he winks.

The class dragged on, and afterwards the boy - Eren - was out of there too quickly for her to say anything. She lags behind the rest of the class, entering his number into her phone and saving him under _Barista Boy._

 **To: Barista Boy**

 **it's Mikasa Ackerman**

 **To: Barista Boy**

 **but ig you know me as drunk coffee girl so**

* * *

 **Hi so this fic is a mistake that happened after I decided to binge listen to Taylor Swift songs last night. I got the idea while listening to 22, hence the name of the fic. All of the chapter titles will be her songs maybe? Idk man. Anyways, I'm gonna try to make this a slow burn but we'll see. Let me know what you think, I live and breathe comments.**


	2. I Knew You Were Trouble

**Chapter Two: I Knew You Were Trouble**

Mikasa plops into her seat in the middle of the classroom and lets out a sigh far too heavy for the beginning of a new semester. She rests her head on her hand, slouching over her desk with closed eyes. It's only the third day of her final semester of undergrad and she has never been more tired than she is right now. The chatter in the room is relatively quiet since the class is mainly freshman that are still trying to decide if they even want to talk to each other.

She opens her eyes ever so slightly to see Eren walking into the room, two coffees in hand. She doesn't even question the double coffee thing, instead her eyes focusing in on the red scarf that was tucked into his coat.

He makes his way through the cluster of desks to the one directly beside her again, sliding into the seat and holding out one of the coffees to her wordlessly.

She blinks, trying to decide if she's seeing this right. They've texted a few times since Monday and seemed to get along pretty well, but getting her a coffee? She supposes it's not the grandest gesture in the world; he does work at a coffee shop afterall. It was probably free.

She reaches out and grabs the cup from him, wrapping her fingers around it and humming quietly at the warmth. "Thank you," she says softly, taking a small sip to test the heat. It doesn't burn her tongue, so she settles on taking another sip.

It's a mint mocha latte.

He doesn't reply and instead winks at her before turning away to pull his things out of his backpack.

* * *

"Do you have another class soon?" Eren asks the moment class ends.

Mikasa shakes her head, "No, not for another few hours."

"Good," he says, "You're coming with me."

* * *

"You already got me coffee today," Mikasa says matter of factly as the duo steps into Trost Coffee Spot.

"I know, but I have work in an hour and I wanted to actually talk to you. Also it's warm in here, which is way better than out there," he nods towards the window and Mikasa's eyes do a quick sweep over the freshly fallen snow they just escaped from.

"Talk to me?" she questions.

"Yeah," he drops his backpack haphazardly on the group and sits down, his hands patting the table to signal for her to do the same.

She follows his lead, although she's a little more cautious with her backpack.

Once she's settled, Eren begins to speak again. "Tell me about you," he says, leaning forward, chin resting on his palm.

This close, Mikasa notices more about him. His skin is a perfectly toned olive and she can see his collarbone peeking out from beneath his shirt now that he's removed his coat and scarf. His arms are nicely toned, although she already knew that from her first night in the coffee shop when she was a only a _little_ tipsy, thank you very much. His eyes are a deep turquoise that remind her of every summer vacation in Greece. The water is brilliant shades of blue and green that never end and are so clear you can see everything in the sea. She feels warm, but she doesn't know if it's because of the thoughts of the warm summer sun or his intense gaze.

"What do you want to know?" she says after coming out of her thoughts.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Mikasa laughs at the question but still answers, "Lawyer."

Eren's eyebrows raise, "Huh, interesting."

"Why?" she replies, tilting her head and smiling, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I'm studying to be a doctor," he leans back in his seat.

"Doctor? I guess we're both a little hardcore. But why are you in entry level genetics then? Unless… don't tell me you're a freshman?"

He snorts and then feigns horror at her question, "How _could_ you, Mikasa? That's the worst insult I have ever received!"

She laughs, ignoring the way her heart flutters when he says her name.

"No, no, I'm a senior. This is my last semester. I still needed one more gen ed and genetics is cool. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you're not a freshman either."

She shakes her head, "No, no, also a final semester senior. And also taking genetics for the reason."

He nods, thinking for a moment. "Enough about school. Tell me something else about you."

"Um, well," she pauses, trying to think of something, _anything_ , interesting about herself, but nothing comes to mind. She finally sputters out, "I've known my roommate since we were five."

Eren smiles (and holy shit does he have a good smile), "I think we're the same person." He points with his thumb over his shoulder towards the kitchen, "Blondie in there is my roommate that I also have known since I was five. But, that's not really about _you_ , tell me something about your family or something. Any siblings?"

"I have an older brother, Levi. Both him and his wife are journalists for Trost Daily. You?"

"Older half brother. His name is Zeke. He's in his final year of his residency program at Trost Medical."

"Ohh, a family of doctors. Fancy."

Eren rolls his eyes, "You have no idea. My dad is also a doctor. My mom is the only one who's not. She owns a restaurant not far from here. I kinda thought about being a chef for a while but I think food is more of a hobby."

"You can cook?"

"Pretty well, although nowhere near as good as my mom," he shrugs.

"Maybe you could make me dinner sometime? My roommate is the best cook I know so you'll have to try pretty hard to live up to her," Mikasa tries to keep her face as neutral as possible. Did she just ask him on a date? She hasn't been on a date in at least three years and has no intention of starting again _now_ , not with law school right around the corner. She's also known Eren for a grand total of what, four days? She shifts in her seat, trying to play it cool. She didn't ask him on a date, but a cooking content with Sasha. Yeah, that sounds _much_ better.

"Your mind is gonna be blown, I promise!"

* * *

Some nerds in a coffee shop, living their best lives.


	3. Ready for It?

**Chapter Three: ...Ready for It?**

 **Some mentions of past Jeankasa in this chapter!**

* * *

The first month of the semester passes quickly with snow taking over the lives of the citizens of Trost. For the first time in college, Mikasa actually has a few snow days (and cold days). She still has quite a bit of work to do, given all of her classes were pretty high level. Her professors have still been posting lectures and notes online, so she's spent her snow days curled up in blankets with hot cocoa on the couch, her laptop situated on her lap. Sometimes Sasha would study with her, other times she would brave the weather to see Connie.

Genetics had been canceled for nearly three weeks in a row, so Mikasa hadn't had much contact with Eren over the last few weeks. They would occasionally message each other, but that was about it. She still feels like shrinking into herself whenever she thinks about how she forced the idea of a dinner date on him. (He did seem into the idea, though.)

As if on queue, her phone dings. Seeing _Barista Boy_ pop up on the screen make her face light up, to which Sasha most definitely takes notice and grabs the phone before Mikasa can even begin to reach for it.

"Who's barista boy?" she asks, holding the phone in her right hand and extending her arm as far as she can in the opposite direction of Mikasa.

"Sasha, give it back."

"Who's barista boy?"

Mikasa sets her laptop on the coffee table and leans over Sasha, reaching for the phone.

Sasha pushes her back onto the couch, her lips turned ever so slightly downward. "When did you stop telling me about boys? Do I talk about Connie too much?"

"Sash, no. It's nothing," she sighs, crossing her arms.

"It doesn't _seem_ like nothing. Who's barista boy and why is he asking about cooking you dinner?"

"Dinner?" Mikasa asks, moving to reach for the phone again.

"Oh no," Sasha says, moving further away from the black haired girl. "You _have_ to tell me a little about this guy before I give you the phone back."

Mikasa sighs, settling back into the couch. "Do you remember right before the semester started and we went out drinking and I forced you stop at that kind of dumpy coffee place on East Main Street?"

"Kinda? I was pretty drunk, Mika."

Mikasa rolls her eyes, "Trust me, I know you were, but you should still be able to figure out where this is going."

The room is silent for a second. Sasha's eyes suddenly widen and she gasps loudly, "NO WAY! The dude with the eyes?"

Mikasa laughs, "That's really descriptive, Sash. But yes, _the dude with the eyes_. His name is Eren, he also goes to Trost U, he's in my genetics class, studying to be a doctor."

"So, he's what, a freshman? That's kinda gross, Mika."

Mikasa shakes her head, "No, I would never. He's a senior, also about to graduate."

Sasha pauses for moment, contemplating. "How the hell has he managed to get this far going into medicine and not taken intro to genetics?"

Mikasa shrugs, "It wasn't required."

Sasha nods, although she appears only somewhat satisfied with that answer. "Okay, I guess. But dinner, Mika? You've gotten far enough with this guy where he's offering to cook you dinner and you didn't tell me?" She looks hurt, but Mikasa can't tell if it's genuine hurt or if Sasha is trying to guilt trip her.

"We haven't _gone_ anywhere, Sash. We had an impromptu coffee date where he works, and I wouldn't even go as far as calling it a real date. We talked for a bit and then he had to work, so I left. It's really not a big deal," Mikasa opens her hand in front of Sasha, waiting for her phone to be returned.

Reluctantly, Sasha sets Mikasa's phone into her outstretched hand. "That's still _something_. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I…" Mikasa pauses, closing her fingers around the phone. "I didn't think he would actually ask about dinner? It's… I didn't plan on it going anywhere. I have too much to worry about. It's our last semester and I'm starting law school in the fall. I don't really have time to think about boys and dating when I need to focus on school. So I didn't mention it because it wasn't supposed to go anywhere."

"Is it going anywhere?"

"Uh, give me one second," Mikasa replies, unlocking her phone and opening Eren's message.

 **From: Barista Boy**

 **hey! i was wondering if you wanted to come over sometime soon and i could cook you dinner?**

It was simple. It wasn't too wordy. It was to the point.

 **To: Barista Boy**

 **yeah! when?**

Her phone dings a second later.

 **From: Barista Boy**

 **is tomorrow night okay?**

Tomorrow night was a Friday. That made sense. No class to worry about on Saturdays if she has a late night.

Mikasa breathes in deeply, staring at the reply. What was she expecting to happen? What did she want to happen? She didn't know him that well and she definitely wasn't one to rush into things. But does she want to draw the line at, what, _kissing_ like a nervous teenager who's never been on a real date before? Was this even a date? He didn't say date.

"Mikasa."

"Huh?" Mikasa snaps out of her thoughts and focuses her attention on a concerned Sasha.

"Whatever internal monologue you're having is stressing _me_ out so please, chill. Whatever you're overthinking is probably fine."

"He didn't say it's a date. What is it? Also, I haven't had sex since like, 2015? Freshman year of college? Does that make me out of practice?"

Sasha holds back a laugh. "Okay, you really need to chill. He's asking to make you dinner, so it's definitely a date. And does he seem like sex on the first date kind of guy?"

Mikasa sinks into the cushions of the couch, "I don't know, Sash. I mean, he _is_ inviting me to his apartment for our first date. Doesn't that kind of scream sex on the first date?"

"Do you not want to?"

"I…" she tilts her head. "I think I do, but not that fast?"

"You really like him, huh?"

"What makes you think that?" Mikasa sets her phone in between them, glancing between the open message and her friend.

"You want to wait. It's kind of cute."

"I don't want to start all over," Mikasa says quietly. "I don't know him that well, but I really do like him. But… I don't know. We're both graduating and have big futures ahead of us. It seems crazy to start a relationship now, right? So maybe rushing is good, but also…"

"Okay, you really are overthinking this," Sasha says, readjusting herself on the couch to fully face Mikasa. "For one, don't worry about it. See how the date goes, see if there's a second one. There's no need to worry about a relationship before it's happening. Also, if you guys end up doing it, that's not a bad thing."

"I seriously feel like a stupid highschool girl right now," Mikasa says, burrying her face in the pillow she's situated on her lap.

"You've only had one serious relationship. If you see potential in someone, that can be scary."

Mikasa turns her head and stares at her best friend for a few seconds. "When did you get so wise?"

Sasha leans against the arm of the couch, a large grin crossing her face. "You learn a lot after being in a relationship for like, what, seven years."

"Eight years," Mikasa corrects, laughing. "How do you not know that you and Connie have been together for eight years?"

Sasha waves it off and laughs, "We're basically an old married couple at this point."

"Do old married couples have wild sex on the couch with one of their roomates in the next room over?" Mikasa has her eyebrows raised.

Sasha sits up straighter, "I apologize for that! We've never gotten that drunk since."

"I'll never unhear it. ' _Oh Connie, yeeaaah!_ '" she mimics, laughing.

"Oh, come on, don't pretend that I didn't walk in on you and Jean freshman year in our dorm room. What about the sock on the door handle policy?"

"We didn't want the whole dorm to know we were fucking!"

"Oh, they did Mikasa. _They did_."

Mikasa groans and shoves her face back into the pillow. "So, what do I do?"

"I'd start by finding out if Eren likes girls who scream or not."

Mikasa throws the pillow at Sasha's face.

* * *

 **To: Barista Boy**

 **tomorrow sounds great! should i dress fancy?**

 **From: Barista Boy**

 **sweet! And yeah, let's pretend we're real adults and dress up. i can even buy champagne. send me your address. is picking you up around seven okay?**

* * *

 **If you're liking this story, leave a comment!**


	4. I Think He Knows

**Chapter Four: I Think He Knows**

So sorry for the delay! This chapter was very difficult to write, between life and the content of the chapter. It didn't quite turn out how I wanted, but hopefully you'll like it regardless.

* * *

"I had a really great time tonight, Eren," Mikasa smiles as she sorts through her keys, trying to find the one that opens her apartment.

"I did, too, Mikasa," Eren replies, watching her fumble with the keys.

When she finds the right one, she separates it from the others and sticks it in the door.

"Wait," Eren says as she begins to twist the key.

"Wha-" Mikasa begins to question as she turns to look at Eren, who grabs her by the waist. She pauses, staring up at him. This close, he's nearly a head taller than her. His eyes are a bright, nearly glowing green that makes her heart beat a little too fast and a little too loud in her chest. Eren's free hand reaches up to cup her face, slowly pulling her in.

The kiss is quick, but sweet and gentle. It sends sparks flying up and down Mikasa's spine as she loops her arms around Eren's neck.

* * *

Mikasa wakes with a start, breathing heavily. She touches her lips and sighs. She is _really_ feeling like some stupid, lovestruck teenager, especially after a dream like that. At the same time, she feels disappointed that it had to end so quickly. Heaving a deep sigh, she falls back onto her pillow. She hadn't realized it until this moment, but she was feeling incredibly touch starved. No one had touched her like that in such a long time and she can't help but crave soft touches and gentle kisses. And more.

A slightly panicked breath passes her lips at the thought. She doesn't understand why she's so caught up on the small chance they might have sex on their first date (or whatever they were calling it, she didn't really know _that_ , either). It's not like she didn't want to. If anything, she really did. After all, imagining him hovering above her, teasing her, pushing her beyond her limits…

Nope. Absolutely not. She rolls over onto her stomach and slams her face into her pillow, willing _those_ thoughts away and forcing herself to fall back asleep.

* * *

The day passes slowly. Time feels like it's come to a standstill and Mikasa herself can't sit still. She spends most of the day fidgeting and passing and generally driving Sasha a little insane. Around five PM, she relieves Sasha of her misery to start getting ready. She takes the time to curl her hair, which isn't the easiest task, considering how long it is. While doing make, she debates wearing fake lashes, but that seems like too much work in the end. Besides, if something happens where she does stay the night, she knows she would either have to waltz around Eren's apartment looking ridiculous when she decides to take them off or they fall off. Either that or she'll end up wearing them overnight, resulting in some very irritated eyes in the morning. That wouldn't really be a pretty sight either.

6:30 rolls around and Mikasa slips into her dress. It's very short, very strapless, and very red. She slips on a pair of strappy black heels and puts together her purse before finally emerging from her room.

"Damn," Sasha says from the couch, watching her roommate walk to the front of the living room and give a twirl. "You're really going for it, huh?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mikasa asks, setting her purse on the coffee table. She pulls out her phone to keep an eye on the time. 6:50 PM.

Sasha shrugs but gives her a knowing smile, resulting in an eye roll from Mikasa.

"You really do look amazing though. Do you want me to wait up for you or…?"

Mikasa pauses for a second, thinking. "No, that's okay. I don't think anything will happen tonight, but I still won't be back until late… probably."

Sasha nods as Mikasa's phone dings. 6:55 PM.

 **From: Barista Boy**

 **i'm here! i wanted to actually come to your door to get you but it looks like i can't get into your building without a card**

 **To: Barista Boy**

 **Oh i should have mentioned that sorry! i'll be down in a minute!**

She can't believe he wanted to actually come get her. Don't most boys just text _here_ and call it good? She stands up and retrieves her purse from the coffee table, stuffing her phone into it. "He's here. Wish me luck."

"I don't think you'll need it," Sasha says.

* * *

Walking up the main entrance of the building, she can see Eren leaning against a sleek black car. He's also as dressed up as Mikasa is, making her feel much better about her outfit choice. She walks out the door and carefully down the stairs and across the parking lot to him, ignoring the harsh chill of the snowy winter night.

"You look amazing," Eren gives her one of the smiles that could light up an entire room.

"Thank you. You look pretty amazing yourself."

He wraps an arm around her waist and escorts her to the passenger's side of the car, opening the door for her. She mumbles out a thanks as she slips in, mainly in shock that he was so polite. Weren't boys supposed to be kind of awful?

He walks back around to his side and gets in, quickly putting the car into reverse and pulling out of his parking spot. "My place is only like five minutes from here."

"Where do you live?" Mikasa asks. She supposes the question is kind of dumb since they're headed to his place.

"I live in the new downtown district," he says, "My parents kind of insisted on it. I think our apartment is way too nice for a couple of college kids, but," he shrugs, letting the sentence fall off.

Mikasa nods, "I get that. My parents also wanted me in the new district but when Sash and I were apartment hunting, there was something really charming about the old district."

Eren hums in agreement, "Definitely. Old downtown Trost is great. There's so many great shops and cafes. New downtown has some great restaurants too, but it's hard to justify spending that much money on a pasta dish when they only give you four noodles."

Mikasa laughs at that and their chatter continues naturally as Eren drives. Within a minute or two, Eren is pulling into a large parking garage in one of the most modern parts of the new downtown district.

"I know you said you live in a nice apartment, but I can already tell it's going to be fancy as hell. You have an assigned parking spot in a parking garage in downtown Trost. How?"

Killing the engine, Eren shrugs and send another smile her way. "Wait 'till you see the view from my place."

* * *

It was breathtaking. Eren had failed to mention that he and his roommate lived on the top floor of a skyscraper. She could see all of downtown Trost - new and old - and even out into the suburbs from his living room window. It was beautiful with all of the lights.

"Wow," Mikasa breathes, her fingertips resting on the windowsill.

"Crazy, isn't it?" Eren asks from behind her.

She turns, watching him move seamlessly throughout the kitchen as he pulls out pre-prepped food and the promised bottle of champagne with two flutes. She makes her way over to him, sliding onto one of the barstools and watching him work. "So, what's on the menu tonight?"

"Seafood linguine with a white wine sauce. I also made some chocolate lava cakes for dessert."

"That's… really impressive," Mikasa blinks.

"Don't give me that much credit yet. You haven't even tried it," Eren replies. Mikasa swears she can see the slightest blush appearing on his cheeks.

She leans forward and dips a finger in the sauce, making direct eye contact as she licks it off of her finger. Her eyes widen, any provocative thoughts thrown out the window, "Holy shit, that's the best thing I've ever tasted."

Eren laughs and it sounds _musical._ Mikasa's heart speeds up and she has a feeling Eren can hear it from across the countertop. "I'm glad you like it so much, but no dipping your fingers in the food!" he chastises, pointing a wooden spoon directly at her.

* * *

The food is absolutely delightful and Mikasa has to stop herself from shoving it down her throat like an animal. They both polish their plates off, including dessert. The only thing left over is the champagne, which is unfortunate, but Mikasa doesn't want to end up doing anything embarrassing (not that Eren hasn't seen her drunk before) and Eren has to drive her home. They sit and chat at Eren's small glass dining room table for another hour after dinner. Their discussion covers various topics, from more information about their families to how thick Professor Smith's eyebrows are.

After a while, Eren stands up and takes the dishes, placing them in the sink. "I'll wash them after I drop you off," he says.

"No, let me help," Mikasa insists.

Eren shakes his head, "Nope," he pops the 'p', "I can't let you get that dress dirty."

* * *

"Thanks for dinner," Mikasa flashes a smile in Eren's direction as she separates her apartment key from the others on her keyring.

"No problem. I'm glad I could actually walk you back up to your apartment."

Mikasa sticks the key into the lock, but pauses before twisting it. She turns to face Eren. "I had a really good time tonight. We should do this again."

This time Eren smiles a brilliant, toothy grin. "We should."

They stand like that for a moment before Mikasa starts to turn towards the door once again.

"Wait," Eren says, taking a step forward.

"What?" Mikasa asks, looking up at him.

"You didn't tell me if my food was better than your roommate's."

Mikasa is silent for a second before letting out a loud laugh, "It was, but don't tell her I said that."

Eren nods, "Alright." He leans down and presses a soft kiss on her forehead. "Good night, Mikasa."

It takes a moment for her brain to turn back on, but as Eren walks away, she replies, "Good night, Eren."


	5. 22

**Chapter Five: 22**

* * *

"WAKE UP!"

Mikasa's eyes are hardly open when she feels the full weight of a wild Sasha smash onto her, causing her to groan in pain. "Sash, what the hell?" She smushes her face deeper into her pillow, sighing. It couldn't be earlier than nine in the morning, so why was Sasha so awake? She was the kind of person who always overslept, even on days where she didn't particularly need to be anywhere.

"Happy birthday, Mikasa!" Sasha rolls onto her back (she's still spread out on top of a half asleep Mikasa).

Mikasa's eyes open a little bit more. She fights her arm out from her cocoon of covers (and Sasha's body) in order to reach for her phone. The date confirms it: Sunday, February 10, 2019. She already has a few happy birthday messages flooding in from people, including both of her parents. The earliest notification on her phone is from Eren, which confirms he made it home safe and he wished her good night again. She had been so caught up in their date that she had completely forgotten about her own birthday and also failed to tell him about it.

Sasha must have recognized this and decided to take matters into her own hands, which Mikasa confirmed once Sasha managed to drag her from the comfy, cozy confines of her bed into their small kitchen. Sasha had made them breakfast, along with a birthday cake for later. She had two large, golden "2" balloons, telling Mikasa she would have to dress cute at some point for instagram pics ("you only get your Taylor Swift birthday once, you know.").

After eating breakfast, Mikasa decided to crash again for a bit, more worn out from last night than she realized. Dating is hard. Not that she didn't have a good time; she had a great time. Things with Eren felt natural, but it was all new and she didn't quite know how she wanted him to fit into her life yet. It's a lot to think about.

Waking from her nap, Mikasa takes a quick shower and gets ready for Sasha's "photoshoot". She unlocks her phone after noticing that Eren has sent her a friend request on snapchat, along with requesting to follow her on Instagram. This definitely meant she would have to tell him her birthday is today and she has no doubts in her mind that he would feel bad for not doing something special last night. (He did cook her an amazing dinner, which she felt would be considered more than enough, but she could already hear him claiming he didn't make it specifically for her birthday, so it's not enough.) She accepts his requests and sends him a snap of herself doing a peace sign.

 _So I totally forgot to tell you that today's my birthday. You definitely don't need to do anything special._

* * *

Around fifteen minutes after Sasha's photoshoot, Mikasa had quickly changed out of the little black dress she had been wearing for pictures. Right on time, too, since there was a loud knock on the door, proceeded by Sasha yelling, "It's for you!" in a voice that sounded all too giddy.

Mikasa walks out of her room and blinks at Eren, who's currently standing in her doorway in a very nice peacoat with his red scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. His cheeks are dusted pink, likely from the cold winter night ( _how did they day pass so quickly?_ Mikasa wonders in the back of her mind). His hair is pulled up in his signature man bun with small pieces hanging loosely around his face. Beside him, still holding the door open, is Sasha, who's staring at Mikasa with a huge smirk and wiggling her eyebrows.

Mikasa approaches the two and swats Sasha away, who disappears to her room. Mikasa has no doubt her ear is pressed to the bedroom door, so she steps into the hallway and leaves the door cracked to talk to Eren.

"So, my roommate is a little nosy," she starts, looking up at him.

He smiles and _fuck_ , it's blinding. "I gathered," he replies, hands buried in his coat pockets.

"So you ventured through this crazy weather for my birthday, I'm guessing?" she smiles in return.

"Well, it seemed liked I had to, considering we didn't celebrate yesterday at all."

Mikasa flashes a bashful smile, "I honestly forgot. I didn't remember until Sasha pounced on me this morning to wish me a happy birthday."

He tilts his head, a curious look in his eyes. Mikasa can't help but compare him to puppy, a super adorable, curious, puppy. "Are you always so forgetful?" he asks. The question sounds like it would be mean, but he says it with such humor and a touch of affection lacing his tone and she feels her heart melt a little bit.

"Mm, no, not normally. I mean, I was a little distracted, after all."

"Ah, were you now? I had no idea first dates were that distracting."

She shakes her head, laughing softly, "Only a little bit." She pauses, watching him for a moment. "How did you get in the building?" she asks.

"Oh, I uh," he pauses as well, looking away from her, "I may have waited outside until someone walked out of the building so I could get in."

She gives him an amused look, but doesn't reply.

"Does that sound stalkery?"

"A tiny bit, but I think I can let it slide this once. You must be freezing though."

He shakes his head, "No, no. I'm fine. I didn't wait that long, really. Besides, I actually wanted to ask if you'd want to go out to celebrate? Nothing crazy. I was thinking maybe some coffee."

Mikasa smiles, "That sounds lovely. Don't you get sick of coffee though, working in a coffee shop?"

"How could I get sick of coffee when it's always discounted for me?"

Nodding, Mikasa replies, "That's fair. I'm going to grab my coat and we can head out, okay?"

* * *

 **It's a little shorter than I intended, but it's here! This idea for this fic came from me listening to 22 and thinking about Mikasa's birthday. I think it's a little funny that this chapter is being posted shortly after my 22 birthday as well.**

 **Anyways, the next chapter is when we really start to get into Eren and Mikasa's relationship!**

 **Please continue to leave comments! They are my life source and encourage me to actually write.**


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